Costa Rica Hits 16% Electric Vehicle Sales, Tops Latin America

Costa Rican families have invented a new version of an old road trip game. Instead of just spotting vintage Volkswagen Beetles, kids now clap and celebrate every time they see an electric vehicle gliding past their windows.

The excitement is justified. Costa Rica claimed the top spot in Latin America last year, with electric vehicles making up 16% of all new car sales, according to Bloomberg NEF research. That number is expected to jump to 20% this year.

The transformation has been dramatic. In 2020, Costa Rica imported just 611 electric vehicles. By 2025, that number surged to around 10,300, based on figures from the Electric Mobility Association.

Tax incentives introduced in 2018 sparked the initial boom, making EVs financially attractive for drivers wanting to reduce their carbon footprint. Chinese automaker BYD alone exported 3,200 electric cars to Costa Rica in 2025, representing nearly a third of total EV imports.

Pedro Dobles, who manages the Cori Motors dealership, says competition among manufacturers has pushed prices down to levels that finally make sense for average families. Word of mouth has done the rest, with satisfied EV owners becoming the best salespeople.

Andrea Morales watched this shift happen in her own family. Her father initially insisted diesel engines were superior, a common belief in Costa Rica. After she convinced him to try a small electric Chevrolet Spark, it became his favorite car.

The vehicles have become so common that their distinctive green license plates, originally designed to raise awareness, no longer turn heads. More than 300 charging stations now dot the country, with stores, banks, and restaurants offering free charging to attract customers.

The Ripple Effect

The electric vehicle revolution in Costa Rica is creating changes that reach beyond individual drivers. One of the country's biggest football clubs, Alajuelense, signed a sponsorship deal with BYD, bringing EVs into the mainstream sports conversation.

The shift is also changing infrastructure planning. The government is moving forward with plans for an electric train in the capital city of San José, building on the momentum created by passenger vehicles.

YouTube creator Manuel Delgado, who covers technology and electric mobility, points to 2021 as the turning point. After annual sales hit 1,000 vehicles, billboards appeared in cities and influential figures began promoting the switch.

The country still faces challenges. EVs represent just 2.5% of Costa Rica's total 1.2 million registered vehicles, and most charging stations remain in urban areas. But the trajectory points clearly upward.

Environment ministry director Randall Zúñiga sums up the moment perfectly: Costa Rica has passed the initial adoption phase and is now moving toward consolidation and scaling up.